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(Aim: To address the charges of injustice and odiousness raised by many against the sovereignty of God in the actions of men.)
I. Introduction:
We should probably begin with God's foreknowledge.
Please note that the multitude of Scriptures given as demonstrations in this presentation are not all concise statements in the particular Scripture, but can be seen in the context of the particular Scripture.
Ac 4:27-28 - Those who conspired "against God's holy servant, Jesus, did what God's purpose determined before to be done."
In looking at the Biblical meaning of foreknowledge in Ac 4:28, there are two things:
Scripture does not present a God whose will or plans are
The Scriptures present God as causing men to do what he wills them to do (Ge 20:6; Ex 3:21, 14:17, 23:27; Dt 2:25, 30; Jos 11:20; 1Sa 10:9; 2Sa 24:1; 1Kgs 22:23; 1Chr 5:26; Ezr 1:1, 5, 7:27;
Ne 2:12, 7:5; Pr 21:1; Eze 14:9; Da 1:9; Jn 6:37; Ac 2:23, 4:28, 13:48; 2Co 8:16; Rev 17:17).
The God presented in the Scriptures is sovereign.
Everything that happens is according to his secret and all-wise counsels
(Is 53:10; Da 11:36; Ac 2:23, 3:18, 4:28; 13:48)
determined in eternity past before the worlds were ever created (Mt 25:34; Eph 1:4; Rev 13:8, 17:8).
For Scripture's answer to man's objection to this, see Ro 9:19-21.
So Scripture's presentation of God's foreknowledge of what is going to happen is not a looking down the corridors of time and seeing in advance what men are going to do.
That notion is from the mind of man.
Rather, Scripture shows that God's foreknowledge of what is going to happen is based in his decree that it shall happen.
And that notion is from the mind of God.
to be con't.
(Aim: To address the charges of injustice and odiousness raised by many against the sovereignty of God in the actions of men.)
I. Introduction:
We should probably begin with God's foreknowledge.
Please note that the multitude of Scriptures given as demonstrations in this presentation are not all concise statements in the particular Scripture, but can be seen in the context of the particular Scripture.
Ac 4:27-28 - Those who conspired "against God's holy servant, Jesus, did what God's purpose determined before to be done."
In looking at the Biblical meaning of foreknowledge in Ac 4:28, there are two things:
- the meaning of "determine" in its statement that "God determines beforehand what is done."
determine = to fix (to set or place definitely; establish) conclusively or authoritatively; to decide; to ordain
God knows in advance what is going to happen because he has determined that it shall happen.
And to what God determines, there is no altering. - the eternal principles stated in Ac 4:28
1) It is God, not men, who determines what happens.
2) What God determines, shall happen, because he has determined that it shall happen.
Scripture does not present a God whose will or plans are
- conditioned on or determined by (Ex 9:6; Ac 4:28),
- thwarted by (2Chr 20:6; Job 9:12, 42:2; Is 14:27; Da 4:35),
- or who sustains loss because of (Jn 6:37; Ac 13:48) the actions of men.
- who ordains or decrees everything (Lam 3:37), down to the last detail (Ps 50:11, 139:16, 147:4; Mt10:30),
- whose plans cannot be thwarted by man (Job 5:12; Ps 33:10),
- and who is loser to no man (Mt 5:26).
The Scriptures present God as causing men to do what he wills them to do (Ge 20:6; Ex 3:21, 14:17, 23:27; Dt 2:25, 30; Jos 11:20; 1Sa 10:9; 2Sa 24:1; 1Kgs 22:23; 1Chr 5:26; Ezr 1:1, 5, 7:27;
Ne 2:12, 7:5; Pr 21:1; Eze 14:9; Da 1:9; Jn 6:37; Ac 2:23, 4:28, 13:48; 2Co 8:16; Rev 17:17).
The God presented in the Scriptures is sovereign.
Everything that happens is according to his secret and all-wise counsels
(Is 53:10; Da 11:36; Ac 2:23, 3:18, 4:28; 13:48)
determined in eternity past before the worlds were ever created (Mt 25:34; Eph 1:4; Rev 13:8, 17:8).
For Scripture's answer to man's objection to this, see Ro 9:19-21.
So Scripture's presentation of God's foreknowledge of what is going to happen is not a looking down the corridors of time and seeing in advance what men are going to do.
That notion is from the mind of man.
Rather, Scripture shows that God's foreknowledge of what is going to happen is based in his decree that it shall happen.
And that notion is from the mind of God.
to be con't.
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